Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Houston Rockets Off-Season Preview

Atlanta Hawks

Under Contract:

• Trae Young: 3 Year Left – $138M (5 Years – $215.16M), Extension Eligible, Last Year has Early Termination Option
• Dejounte Murray: 4 Years – $114.07M, Last Year is Player Option
• Clint Capela: 1 Year Left – $22.27M (2 Years – $45.88M), Extension Eligible
• De’Andre Hunter: 3 Years Left – $69.91M (4 Years – $90M)
• Bogdan Bogdanovic: 3 Years Left – $49.3M (4 Years – $68M), Last Year is Team Option
• Onyeka Okongwu: 4 Years – $61.98M
• Jalen Johnson: 1 Year Left – $4.51M (4 Years – $12.89M, Rookie Contract), Extension Eligible
• Kobe Bufkin: 3 Years Left – $15.71M (4 Years – $19.8M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
• A.J. Griffin: 2 Years Left – $9.86M (4 Years – $17.1M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
• Bruno Fernando: 2 Years Left – $5.57M (4 Years – $10.87M), Non-Guaranteed, Extension Eligible, Last Year is Team Option
• Mouhamed Gueye: 3 Years Left – $6.52M (4 Years – $7.64M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option

Options:

• Garrison Matthews: Team Option – $2.23M, Extension Eligible

Free Agents:

• Saddiq Bey (RFA)
• Wesley Matthews (UFA)
• Trent Forrest (UFA)

Draft Picks:

• 1st Pick

Cap Space:

• Projected Maximum Cap Space: $32M+ over the cap

Top Priorities/Team Needs:

• Which direction to take:
  • Trade Trae Young or Dejounte Murray: The Trae Young and Dejounte Murray experiment didn’t pan out as expected. They only played 2 years together, but they weren’t able to win more than 41 games, missing the playoffs entirely this year. Changes are coming for the Hawks, and it’s very likely one of these two players will be traded this summer. It just a matter of who will be traded and what they get back in return.
  • Start a full rebuild: The alternative route the Hawks could take is starting a full rebuild. They have the number 1 pick in this year’s draft, and the next couple of draft classes are supposed to be loaded with talent. They could trade Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and other veteran players for a plethora of first round picks. However, the picks they would get in return would likely be mid-to-late first round picks and the Hawks don’t have their own first round picks in the next 3 drafts. It’s more difficult to start a rebuild without your own picks and having no control over your future draft positions. This scenario is not very likely, but the idea should be thrown out there.
• Finally trade Capela: The Hawks have a quality center in Onyeka Okongwu, who should have been the starter for the past 2 years. Capela is on an expiring contract worth $22.3M and is eligible for an extension this summer. They need to trade him and get assets in return while they still can.
• Who do you select with the 1st pick?: The Hawks are lacking frontcourt depth, especially if they trade Clint Capela. Alexandre Sarr would fit in perfectly at the power forward spot next to Okongwu and would boost their defense while providing offensive upside. However, as I mentioned earlier, the Hawks will likely trade Trae Young or Dejounte Murray leaving a gap in the backcourt. Stephon Castle would also be a great fit and could slide right into the starting lineup, providing immediate help as a perimeter defender. With that said, I believe Alex Sarr would be the best option and will ultimately be picked in the draft, but Stephon Castle deserves some consideration here as well.
• Trade Exception: The Hawks have a $23M trade exception that expires on November 11th, 2024. This adds flexibility to their potential trade options if they choose to use it.

Draft Fits:

• 1st Pick:
  • Alexander Sarr
  • Stephon Castle
  • Zaccharie Risacher

Free Agent Fits:

• No cap space to sign free agents.